"The words of our Ordinal are clear enough": Bramhall on the Ordinal and the priestly ministry of consecrating the Eucharist

From Bramhall's The consecration and succession, of Protestant bishops justified (1658), here challenging Roman allegations that the Ordinal (1559) lacked the intention of ordaining priests to consecrate the Eucharist. Bramhall emphasises how the power to consecrate and administer the Eucharist is integral to the Ordinal's understanding of the presbyteral ministry:

I answer, that in our very essentiall forme of Priestly Ordination, Priestly power and authority is sufficiently expressed; we need not seeke for a needle in a bottle of hay. The words of our Ordinall are cleare enough ... in these words, 'whose sins thou doest remit they are remitted,' that is not onely by Priestly absolution: but by preaching, by baptising, by administring the holy Eucharist, which is a meanes to applie the alsufficient sacrifice of Christ, for the remission of Sinnes. He who authoriseth a man to accomplish a worke, doth authorise him to use all meanes which tend to the accomplishment thereof.

... this Priestly power to consecrate is conteined in these words, 'Be thou a faithfull dispenser of the word of God, and Sacraments.' And afterwards, when the Bishop delivers the holy Bible into the hands of those who are ordeined Priests, 'Have thou authority to preach the word of God, and Administer the Sacraments.' We do not deny, but Deacons have been admitted to distribute and Minister the Sacraments, by the Command or permission of Priests, or as Subservient unto them: but there is as much difference between a subservient distribution of the Sacrament, and the Dispensing or Administring of it, as there is betweene the Office of a Porter who distributeth the almes at the gate, and the Office of the Steward who is the proper dispenser of it. Looke to it Gentlemen; If your owne Ordination be valide, Ours is as valide, and more pure.

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